Iran's 'restricted zone' move in the Strait of Hormuz

Mohsen Rezaee, Secretary of the Expediency Discernment Council of Iran, announced that the Tehran administration will declare a new 'restricted zone' around the Strait of Hormuz. Rezaee stated that the area in question will extend from the blockade zone declared by the US Navy into the inner parts of the Persian Gulf.

According to Rezaee's statement, commercial vessels attempting to enter this zone will be placed on a sanctions list by Iran. The Iranian official reported that the decision will be announced to the public in the coming days.

Stating that negotiations are being held with Oman regarding maritime transport routes in the Strait of Hormuz, Rezaee said that the parties have reached an agreement on transit routes. Noting that the agreement will be signed shortly, Rezaee said, 'The new international corridor, which will be managed by Iran, has been determined together with our brother country Oman and will be announced in the coming days.'

Rezaee also argued that reports claiming there is a shortage of basic necessities in Iran due to the US blockade and economic sanctions do not reflect the truth.

Stating that US President Donald Trump withdrew from the memorandum of understanding signed between the parties in June, Rezaee expressed that this decision led Iran to change its war and negotiation strategy. 'After Trump withdrew from the agreement, we concluded that we needed to adopt a new strategy in the fields of war and negotiation. America's withdrawal from the agreement set us on a new path,' he said.

Rezaee also claimed that 48 hours ago, they tested an Iranian-made anti-ship missile against an American vessel for the first time. The Iranian official alleged that the missile forced the Americans to retreat.